Hyderabad: In a strong pushback against a proposed administrative overhaul, multiple medical bodies on Saturday opposed the move to appoint Group 1 and Group 2 officers as administrators in govt hospitals, warning that it could undermine clinical governance and affect healthcare delivery.Organisations, including the Telangana Teaching Govt Doctors Association, Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association, and Telangana Senior Residents Doctors Association, said the proposal departs from established practices followed by premier institutions such as All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, and Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research. The TTGDA stressed that hospital administration is a specialised discipline requiring both clinical knowledge and management expertise. It pointed out that doctors undergo structured training through the MD in hospital administration programme, recognised by the National Medical Commission, which equips them in areas such as patient safety, hospital operations and health systems management.“Replacing medically trained administrators with general administrative officers could affect efficiency, accountability, and patient care outcomes,” it said. The HRDA noted that several additional DME cadre professors in govt hospitals, including superintendents and senior faculty, already have the required experience but are constrained by limited administrative and financial powers. Instead of creating parallel structures, it argued that strengthening the autonomy and authority of existing medical administrators would be more effective. Echoing similar concerns, the TSRDA said the proposal could impact the career prospects of MD hospital administration graduates and lead to underutilisation of skilled professionals. It also warned of possible delays in decision-making and conflicts in hospital governance. The medical bodies demanded that the proposal be withdrawn, called for the appointment of qualified medical administrators, and urged the govt to strengthen existing systems while involving domain experts in policy decisions.
